Narrator: She had sort of a soft, soothing voice that didn't match up well for the Romantic Suspense genre. But, I enjoyed her readinAudiobook Edition
Narrator: She had sort of a soft, soothing voice that didn't match up well for the Romantic Suspense genre. But, I enjoyed her reading p, for the most part,
I usually waffle a bit about reading Romantic Suspense. Many times the love story is crammed in and around a trauma-filled plot. In this case, though, I found myself sucked in almost from the start. Then again, I'm a total sucker for any plot variation of A. Christie's "Ten Little Indians." Here, a group of relative strangers find themselves isolated at the beautiful, but remote 'Edge of Reason Lodge' completely surrounded by the wilderness of Alaska.
There, the closed-off, completely self-sufficient Lodge Manager, Amelia "Mel" Bennett--who has found herself the perfect place to hide away from life after her much-publicized horrific childhood abduction--meets the gorgeous and mysterious Cache Calder--a world-renowned photojournalist--who bears the scars of his own recent trauma. Mel wonders if he could be the one man to thaw her frozen heart. Or, Cache fears, he might just be the one man to break her heart into a million shards, once she discovers who he really is and why he's really there.
Then, Mel starts seeing glimpses, reminders of her horrific past. She flatly refuses to acknowledge that someone staying at HER lodge might be evil: one of her guests or someone she's known for years. She can't accept that her "home" is no longer safe. As she fits the puzzling pieces together, she finally realizes the terrible truth and fully accepts the deadly extent this individual will go to in order to lure her away from safety and out into the wilderness, where he watches and waits.
--It won't be long now. The heathen sinner that Amelia has grown up to be will soon discover that her perceived control is but fleeting. One false step, and she'll find herself at his mercy. And there, at long last, she'll face her final judgment.--
This time, though, Mel isn't a helpless child. This time she won't go meekly to her certain death. She's tired of living in fear. This time she's ready to fight back!
But, in readying themselves for their Epic Battle of Good versus Evil, they may have overlooked one thing: that Mankind's most enduring folly is his assumption that he maintains any real domination over Earth--especially so very deep in the wilds of Alaska.
Note: There are some great romantic moments, too. And I loved the ending. The story did leave me with a few unanswered questions, though:
--How about a peek at Cache's story on Mel; --What in the HELL was Tom thinking!; --I want to know more about Sergei's mysterious backstory; --And did Mel eventually sell or display her quilts?
Maybe some of these points will be addressed in one of the other "Edge" books or else in the "Wild Wo/Men of Alaska" series....more
A mostly forgettable, suspenseful plot designed to seclude a trio of impressive brothers wiAudiobook Version Narrator: Serena Daniels
The Short & Sweet:
A mostly forgettable, suspenseful plot designed to seclude a trio of impressive brothers with the object of their desire--in this case, their beautiful secretary. Once the handsome, lusty trio let loose their desires lovely captive Hannah is merely putty in their hands....more
Firstly, I loved the narrator. She had such a smooth, confident voice that she actually lulled me to sleep once or twice--w3.50 Stars Audiobook Version
Firstly, I loved the narrator. She had such a smooth, confident voice that she actually lulled me to sleep once or twice--which for this long-suffering insomniac was not a bad thing. Also, her ability to seamlessly switch between dual POVs came off as effortless.
This was a box-set of four novellas by author Tiffinie Helmer featuring four very intense, Alaskan alpha males--an Alaskan State Trooper, a Wildlife Refuge Officer, a murdered mountain climber & an ex-KGB agent--all ready to find and claim their destined mates. Question is, are these women ready to be found and claimed?
The stories were each well-thought out with well-developed characters, but they felt a bit rushed once the females admitted their feelings and then they ended somewhat abruptly. (Just saying, I'm a huge fan of Kristen Ashley and thought all of these stories could have used one of KAs signature Epilogues.)
Still, overall I enjoyed these Alaska-based tales and would happily read more by Tiffinie Helmer....more
Still, it was perfectly balanced with a zippy, engaging beginning, a funny, shifting swiftly to 'HOT as HE4 'Funny, sweet, HOT...yet, too short Stars'
Still, it was perfectly balanced with a zippy, engaging beginning, a funny, shifting swiftly to 'HOT as HELL' middle, and an abrupt,, but satusfying, end.
I'll definitely be reading more from this author....more
The third-person telling of this short story just didn't work for me. Actually, the story itself did nothing for me. I was removed 2 Or Fewer Stars DNF
The third-person telling of this short story just didn't work for me. Actually, the story itself did nothing for me. I was removed from the characters in a way that felt bizarre and the dual voice didn't help. I had this idea that we were going to discover that this was all in the wife's mind, or even that perhaps there was no couple and this was all being imagined in some woman's mind. It felt very creative writing assignment-ish, as if the sex was meant only to shock....more
Graham Winters, Alpha werewolf of the Silverback pack and mega playboy who suddenly realize3.5 'Big, Bad' Stars
Audiobook Version Narrator: Kate Reading
Graham Winters, Alpha werewolf of the Silverback pack and mega playboy who suddenly realizes he's hit the wall as far a screwing every female werewolf within reach. So, is he ever surprised when one whiff of frumpy, human schoolteacher Missy Roper stops him dead his tracks. It can't be! She, this so-so human in the too tight, too short dress, cannot be his mate! And what's this! She's not falling for him or any of his best moves.
Missy Roper has given up on finding Mr. Right, indeed, Mr. Anybody. She's a meek schoolteacher who has zero confidence when it comes to men. Her BFFs are relentless when it comes to sending her out on pointless dates. In truth, there's currently only one man, or, um, wolf, that she can't ignore. And she's just bumped into him! Boy, is she ever freaked when he sets his sights on her. And the more time they spend together, the more he wants her by his side permanently. She knows he's going to blow her off soon and she'd rather be the one to make that happen, the sooner the better.
Pack politics come into play, making things more difficult for this maybe couple. And it looks like taking things slow is not in the cards for Graham and Missy. It's a mad dash for the pair, and paws are crossed they're not doomed....more
Audiobook Version Elizabeth Hart, Narrator: E. Hart does a pretty good job, I detected a slight lisp at times, though, and that co2.5 'Just Okay' Stars
Audiobook Version Elizabeth Hart, Narrator: E. Hart does a pretty good job, I detected a slight lisp at times, though, and that combined with the babyish voice she used to portray mousy heroine Faith Lewis and several times I was pulled out of the story. She did a much better job with mega rich, bad boy Ryan McKay.
In truth, I put off writing this review and needed to reread the book description and critiques in order to write this. The book was short and sweet, if pretty predictable. This is the second book I've read this month where our Hero falls head over heels in "like" for the cherubic--nearly to the point of being dense--heroine. And he does so waaay too easily. This leaves only a four-letter obstacle to overcome. There's also the greedy, scheming cousin James. In both instances, our damaged Hero clings to his beloved denial. In the former, his inability to see how creepitastic his cousin really is and in the latter how obvious it is that he adores Faith. Still, no matter how hard he clings to his skewed beliefs, it takes a major calamity to shake things up. We know there can be only one outcome, so, it's only a matter of patiently flipping pages and enduring some very corny speeches and love scenes....more
Audiobook Version with 3 Different Narrators (I felt like Goldilocks with the trilogy having 3 separate narrators: #1 was 4 "I Wanna Be A Krinar" Stars
Audiobook Version with 3 Different Narrators (I felt like Goldilocks with the trilogy having 3 separate narrators: #1 was too strong, #3 was too soft, and #2 was JUST right. I was sorry to see she had been replaced.)
Overall, I'm rating this with 4 Stars because I was completely caught up in the story. Indeed, I devoted most of three days to listening intently whenever I could.
That said, I had so many issues with Mia, who was not only so tiny she was the size of a house mouse and so unattractive to me she was ab-so-lutely TSTL. She asked so many questions, if I were Korum I would have told her to shut-the-fuck-up and shuttled her back to you NYC. Questions like "Why me?" "What could you want with little ole me?" And yet, the really important ones she only fretted over endlessly in her head: "The resistance says blah-blah, is it true?" "If we're together, what will happen when I age?" "Can we have children?" "Whoa, your technology rocks! How can I get me some some?" These are just some silly samples. Especially towards the end when Korum tells her his true plans and she yells a bit and then shrugs: why not suggest an Earth/Krinar compromise, why not suggest they push forward as a K/Earther team working towards what's best for both beings? She's so damn dumb.
As for Korum, he was a perfect Krinar solving all his "Mia" problems with sex. Yet, giving in, opening up, letting love in a bit at a time. He also grows up: faces enemies, learns about betrayal and he learns to 'let go'. Mostly though, he growls at Mia a lot. He cracked me up.
Speaking of sex with Korum--we were, weren't we? Damn, but it was boring in its repetitiveness: stick big 'D' in teeny tiny slot 'A' (hold for a stretch and repeat). Or slot 'B'. Butt we'll get into that later, which they don't, not really. Over and over again. Just show us the above damn diagram and ask us to chant "vanilla, vanilla, vanilla" and we'll get the idea. It just didn't matter after awhile and I covered my ears (and non-tingling parts).
I had so many problems with the logistics of this, I wanted to sit down and write a long letter to Anna Z. In the end, though, I just let it go. She wasn't going to fix it for me, so I just did it in my head (there's me all up in my sex, I mean 'head', again...lol).
Definitely worth a listen if you like threatening, grumpy rich Alien Alpha males who look/act exactly like threatening, grumpy rich Human Alpha males who fall for pretty, average Jane with big round insert blue, green brown eyes, but with some end of the world suspense thrown in. It sounds like I didn't, but I really did love it. Especially listening to it long into the deep dark, endlessly starry night....more
This reminded me so much of a Laurann Dohner New Species book. That's a positive. Everything was there: great setu2.5 'Hopeful' Stars Audiobook version
This reminded me so much of a Laurann Dohner New Species book. That's a positive. Everything was there: great setup & story idea, strong characters with sizzling chemistry, My only issue was that the story was entirely too short. Even 50 more pages building up the background and their history, drawing out Wolfe's search for Hope, how torn he is between his rage and his lust for her. There's just not quite enough here. It would make a great Prologue to another story about Wolfe and Hope, or the Breeds, or the evil organization behind their creation.
Still, it did make me want to read another Breeds story and learn more about them. ...more
A cheat's a cheat. It doesn't matter if he's a turned vampire or not. This isn't your typical 'Twilight' vamp story. No, this a much d3 'Silver' Stars
A cheat's a cheat. It doesn't matter if he's a turned vampire or not. This isn't your typical 'Twilight' vamp story. No, this a much darker world.
From outward appearances, Club Silver Moon appears to be THE place to be for the goth crowd, but in actuality all the writhing humans on the dance floor are the 'all you can drink' nightly special for a coven of 'zombie' vamps under the spell of the very evil and ruthless Darius. That's the setting. Dyanna and Anthony are happily married high school sweethearts until one evening when her husband's 'night out' with the boys turns out to be eternally life-altering for the both of them. Can they find their way back to themselves? It's pretty intense for just 43 pages.
I'm glad I discovered this author. She reminds me of one of my favorites: Charlotte Stein....more
Kidnapped by an alien ship and sold into slavery on a nearly-abandoned planetary settlement, Franny finds herself belonging to thre3.5 'Utopian' Stars
Kidnapped by an alien ship and sold into slavery on a nearly-abandoned planetary settlement, Franny finds herself belonging to three ore miners, Cade, Nebraska and Dawson, who've pooled together everything they had to buy her thinking only about the harsh winter that's just days away from setting in.
It doesn't take long before the men realize their prize is a living, breathing fiery red-head who isn't so hot over the idea of being passed around for their pleasure. At the same time, it isn't long before Franny realizes her survival depends on them. Right about the time other miners start beating at the door making outrageous offers to have them share her.
I don't read much fantasy romance, but I'm expanding my horizons, so to speak. Romance plots can get repetitious and tossing an interplanetary wrench into the gears can shake things up a bit. And I found I REALLY enjoyed this. Sure, I would have loved an Epilogue to know how things turned put, but I suppose I can make something up on my own.
Well written and edited. I liked how peeling away the grime and roughness from the three, lonely miners revealed their true, individualistic selves. This might be short story, but sometimes that's all it takes. *grin*
If I was rating this under Polyamorous/Romance/Fantasy Novellas then I'd rate this closer to a 4.25. (view spoiler)[As mentioned above, only an Epilogue and, for me, personally, maybe loosening up of the 'rigid' sharing schedule (i.e., an actual ménage scene) might have strengthened my rating for this. I only mention this because maintaining three separate relationships obviously added serious strain to the group as a whole. And 'coming together' might lessen that and increase a sense of shared bonding. (See, I'm not a total smut. I'm thinking solely of group dynamics.) *wink* (hide spoiler)]...more
A new favorite romance book! And a new favorite audiobook, too. All due to the narrator. Well, the narrator and the w5 'Feral' Stars
Audiobook version:
A new favorite romance book! And a new favorite audiobook, too. All due to the narrator. Well, the narrator and the writing. She was SO good at giving voice to Taryn with her sarcastic snipes and Trey with his grrrowls. I kept wishing I was a wolf shifter, latent or not. I obviously read the new and improved ménage-less version. And I'm glad, Trey is definitely not one to share and neither is Taryn. My only gripe regarding Taryn was making her so teeny tiny. Many romance authors do this, though. They make their heroines very short and their Heroes the size of pro basketball players. Not sure why they do that, at all.
Anyway, I loved it. I'm not sure I'll jump into the next book in the series, though. Too often they don't live up to the first. Besides, Trey is the Alpha. I worry other pack members' stories won't live up to his. We shall see....more
I enjoyed the first book in the series more. This M/FM relationship seemed a tad more forced or maybe the word is work. And I'll go a3 'a Trois' Stars
I enjoyed the first book in the series more. This M/FM relationship seemed a tad more forced or maybe the word is work. And I'll go ahead and say it, I didn't care much about the conflict happening in the story. I was most interested in the 'nuts and bolts' and the 'ins and outs' of the relationship between the trio. Ah, well, they all came together in the end. ;) ...more
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